


Forever and Always

by ninwrites



Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare, The Shadowhunter Chronicles - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Alec Lightwood & Jace Wayland Friendship, Day 1, Engagement, Everything is Beautiful and Nothing Hurts, F/M, Future Fic, Future scene, Gen, Happy Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood, M/M, Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood Fluff, Malec Week, Malec Week 2017, Marriage Proposal, Not Much Anyway, Supportive Isabelle Lightwood, can the title be any sappier?, show-verse, that's the real question here
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-06
Updated: 2017-05-06
Packaged: 2018-10-28 18:51:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,048
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10837272
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ninwrites/pseuds/ninwrites
Summary: Day 1: Future SceneLet your imagination run wild with a scene that has yet to take place in the future of Malec





	Forever and Always

**Author's Note:**

> this is one of what I imagine will be many engagement fics for malec week. the prompt is too fitting. 
> 
> technically show!verse but also technically a hybrid of show + book. minor spoilers from the book that can be found on the wiki but are STILL SPOILERS.

Alec wipes his arm across his forehead, sweat beading at his temples. He clenches bandage-wrapped hands and aims them at the leather punching bag, his movements deliberate and tight.  _One, two,_ inhale.  _One, two,_ exhale.

He gets swept up in the steady beat of fist against leather, the soft scuff of his shoes against the training room floor, the thrum of his heart in his chest. Were it not for the rune on his hip, he would have missed the presence of another person in the room.

"Something on your mind?"

Alec's hands relax, one reaching to stop the swinging bag. He digs his fingers into the leather and exhales deeply, his skin vibrating with adrenaline from the workout. Jace waltzes into the room slowly, his eyes narrowed.

"Just needed some time, to myself." Alec explains, unable to meet his  _parabatai's_  firm gaze. "To gather my thoughts. To  _stop_ thinking, for just a second."

Jace inclines his head thoughtfully. "For any particular reason?" When Alec refrains from answering, he adds: "Did something happen between you and Magnus?"

"No." Alec responds, quickly and a few octaves louder. "No, nothing - everything is fine, between us. Great."

"I noticed you've been coming in early," Jace adds, taking a cautious step forward. "Picking up double-shifts of patrol, taking extra reports home to complete ... if something is wrong, Alec, you can tell me."

"Nothing's wrong." Alec reiterates.

He scrubs a hand over his face, his tired eyes, his damp skin, his day-old stubble. He's twenty-five, Head of the New York Institute, he shouldn't be having so much trouble expressing his own thoughts or feelings.

"I have a meeting with Clave envoys soon, to discuss transferring newly ascended Shadowhunters to this Institute." Alec takes a deep breath and steps away from the punching bag, his hands falling to his sides. "If you insist on bugging me about my  _non-existent_ problem, you can come to my office later and we'll continue this tiresome back and forth then."

He ignores Jace's call of his name as he leaves the room, heart pumping in his chest. His problem isn't that non-existent, but he doesn't have the time, or the energy, to get into it with Jace right now. If he had his way, he wouldn't talk about it with Jace ever, but he knows his  _parabatai_  better than that, and he knows it won't be able to escape it before he heads home tonight.

He loves Jace, and appreciates the support, but sometimes he wishes there was a temporary off-switch to their bond so that he could at least figure out his own problems before he has to talk about it with anyone else.

 

\---

 

Jace, as expected, is waiting in Alec's office with what Alec presumes is supposed to be an ice-breaking fruit platter. It's an odd gesture, but Alec isn't all that suprised, as Jace likes to make apologetic gestures with fruit. He once carved  _sorry_  - a little badly - into a mango after he broke Alec's stele, the cause of which has never actually been explained.

"Wow, you went all out." Alec mutters drily. "What did you break this time?"

"I don't think I'm the problem, here." Jace states. He nods towards the couch. "Care to take a seat?"

"I told you there's nothing wrong." Alec shuts the door.

Jace shrugs, and crosess over to the couch, resigning himself to the fact that Alec probably won't be sitting any time soon. His eyes on Jace the whole time, Alec pulls out his stele and hastily draws a silencing rune on the door - the last thing he wants is this conversation being broadcast to the entire Institute's ears.

"And I don't believe you." Jace pats the couch. "Come on, Alec. The quicker we get this heart-to-heart over with, the less pain you have to endure."

"Your ability to get on my nerves is exponential." Alec declares, crossing to his desk where a crystal decanter rests atop a silver tray. It had been a gift from Magnus, but because Alec prefers not to drink on the job, it holds water instead of whisky.

"Let's say, hypothetically, that there was something bothering you." Jace raises his hands placatingly at Alec's stern gaze. "Hypothetically. Could it be something to do with  _this_ place, or that cute little loft apartment in Brooklyn?"

Alec grips his glass, resisting the urge to drop it against the corner of his desk. "Hypothetically, it wouldn't be any of your business."

"Seriously, Alec-"

"I want to propose to Magnus but I'm too scared he's going to say no." Alec blurts out, his voice fast and sharp. He stands at his desk, back to Jace, his chest heaving with deep breaths that do nothing to fill his desert-dry lungs.

"Okay? Are you happy now, Jace, you cracked my hard, emotionally-repressed exterior to the truth beneath." Alec sighs, ragged, his free hand clenching the edge of his desk for support.  _"Te futueo et caballum tuum..."_

"I heard that." Jace declares. "And I understood it."

Alec whirls around, leaving the glass empty on the tray. "Good for you, Jace, you remember the latin curses we found scribbled in the back of the textbook when Hodge wasn't looking. We were twelve, congratulations on your excellent memory."

He's being unfair, and if he was in a better mindset, he'd probably apologise for it. As it stands, he doesn't have the energy or the desire to do such at the moment.

"Were you being serious?" Jace asks, leaing forward with his elbows on his knees. "You're considering proposing to Magnus?"

"Considering is an interesting way to put it." Alec says, flat and sarcastic. "Freaking out, losing sleep over, all good terms."

"Hey, hey," Jace stands up swiftly, crossing the room faster than Alec can blink. "Alec. Stop. Look at me."

Alec forces his gaze to meet Jace's, reluctant though he is. Jace reaches out and grips his shoulders firmly, his thumbs digging into Alec's collarbone. "You're freaking out, unecessarily I think, but I respect you too much to dismiss this. Do you have any plans tonight?"

"I'm supposed to be looking at Iz's most recent lab analysis, and there's a whole stack of files I haven't signed off on yet-"

"So nothing that can't wait until tomorrow." Jace clarifies.

"That's not-"

"Alec. I wanted to give you the sense you had a choice in this, but it's not exactly up for negotiation. You need to talk about this, and I need to be there for you." Jace shakes his head when Alec parts his mouth to protest. "Nothing is more important right now than helping you figure this out, because I know you, and if we don't talk about this now, it won't ever get resolved. I'm not going to give you that chance."

Sometimes Alec wants to damn his  _parabatai_  to the Void. And yet, even when he doesn't feel like it, he's always grateful for Jace's support.

 

* * *

 

"Okay. You're freaking out. Why?"

Alec cradles a glass of rum and coke in his hand, the surface cool against his skin. He watches a bead of condensation drip down, making a curved pattern until it drops onto the bar. It could be worse, he knows. Jace had taken him to a normal, mundane bar, not the Hunter's Moon or somewhere else they could be easily recognised.

"It's a big deal, don't you think?" Alec asks, though it's mostly rhetorical.

Jace sips his own scotch slowly. "Dude. This is the guy you've been dating for five years, all of which pretty much started when you  _kissed him_  at your own, no offence, farce of a wedding. Who you first declared your all encompassing love for out the front of the Institute in the view of anyone with no concern as to who might see."

"That was a long time ago." Alec reminds him, quietly.

Jace scoffs out a note of laughter. "Okay, more recent examples. You sported an  _alliance_ rune together during the Mortal War with full confidence it would work, once threw him a birthday party with only  _cats_  as the invited guests - still a little upset about that, might I add - and just last month, you practically paraded him through the halls with his hand held tightly in yours because  _one_ smartass punk commented on your relationship and you caught wind of it."

"None of those were permanent, though." Alec protests weakly. "If I do this, I am asking him to essentially limit himself to just me, to just our relationship for as long as  _I_ live, because we all know I'm dying before he is."

Jace frowns, but Alec dismisses it with a quick wave of his hand. "I've come to terms with it, for the most part. I just, I just think it's a very big thing to ask of him, and I don't want to pressure him into saying yes, but if he says no..."

"What makes you think he'll say 'no', if you do ask him?"

Alec stares at Jace, his contact unwavering. "17,000."

Jace winces, mostly on behalf of Magnus. "Okay, fair point. Still, you've been together for five years, Alec. What, do you think Magnus will just fall out of love with you?" Jace raises a deliberate eyebrow. "Because I for one, certainly don't. I see you guys, when you're together. When you're apart."

He swallows thickly. "Back then, years ago, when you were almost-dating and I messed up and almost destroyed our bond? When you tried to get me back and ended up in a coma?  _I_ was a wreck then, when you came back, but  _you_ didn't see Magnus. He'd collected himself before you could, but  _I_ did, Alec. Even back then he was falling hopelessly in love with you, it broke him to see you like that."

Alec clenches his fist on his knee, hidden beneath the bar. Jace reaches over, and rests his hand atop Alec's.

"There is no doubt, in my mind, that Magnus would say yes if you asked. But that's not up to me, I'm not the one considering marriage. You need to believe in the notion, but more than that, you need to ask yourself if you want to do it. If you want to marry Magnus, and be with him, in sickness and in health, etcetera, etcetera - then go for it. But there's no point worrying if it's not something you're sure you even want in the first place."

"Why wouldn't I want to marry Magnus?" Alec asks, leaping quickly to a defensive standpoint. "I wouldn't be stressing out this much if I didn't." He leans forward, his eyes dark and hard. "I love him. More than I ever thought I could, more than I ever thought I  _would_  be able to love  _anyone._ I miss him when he's not around and the thought of losing him, in any way, makes me feel sick."

Jace grins, slow and smug. "There."

Alec blinks in confusion. "I'm sorry, what?"

"You just proved that you're worrying over nothing. If I'm stupid for questioning your love for Magnus, then you're just as foolish for questioning his love for you."

Alec frowns, and diverts his gaze. Jace has a point. Actually, Jace has never sounded smarter, but Alec isn't ready to admit that. His mind is already whirring, he doesn't need to add to his own headache.

 

* * *

 

Alec turns his key into the lock slowly. Magnus had offered to set up a loophole in the wards, so that Alec could pass through any time he liked, but Alec had kindly dismissed the sugggestion. While the wards are set to recognise him, Alec enjoys the feeling of sliding the key into the lock, likes the tangible sense that he has a place here.

Sure, it's been just over four years since he moved in, by this point he does know that he has a place here, but he's gotten so used to the key, that not using it would feel empty.

"Magnus?"

There's no answer, which isn't that surprising. Alec hadn't returned to the Institute after Jace had brought him to the bar, which meant he ended up arriving home earlier than expected. Magnus had mentioned a higher intake of clients this week, so he could be in his office, or out meeting with someone.

He should probably send Magnus a text, actually, and let him know that he came home early, more out of courtesy that necessity. He toes his boots off at the door, resting them and his bow near the adjoining wall where they always go. He may sleep with a spare stele in the second drawer and an extra seraph blade beneath the mattress, but he feels safer knowing his bow is at the entrance to the apartment, were something truly terrible to go down.

It's been a contentious point of discussion between Magnus and himself, a matter of protecting and being protected. Alec's always been the protector, he's a Shadowhunter and the eldest of four, including Jace. His natural instinct is to put others before himself. Magnus, by a similair token, would do anything to protect those he loves, and considering Alec comes under that category, they often end up trying to protect the other - which can work surprisingly well during hunts and battles if they're on the same wavelength, because they work together towards the common goal, much like Alec and Jace do.

Alec wouldn't change it, the need that he has to protect Magnus, nor would he take away the need Magnus has to protect those who  _he_ loves. It's a nice feeling, knowing that he's not only wanted, but that there's someone who loves him so deeply they're determined to put him first. That these protective instincts come from someone who isn't tied to him by blood or bond .

Alec trudges through into the kitchen, his heart as heavy as his limbs. Jace's words are still ringing in his mind like a scratched record, and he really doesn't have the energy for this kind of mental ferris-wheel. Over and over and over with no stopping and no productive direction. An endless loop of frustration.

He flicks on the coffee machine, because despite what Jace seemed to believe he does have work to do and it is important, and leans against the counter. A low purring sound attracts his attention, and he looks down to see a grey-white tabby cat twining through his legs.

"Evening, Chairman." Alec bends down to pick the kitten up, cradling him in the crook of his arms. The small cat purrs at him, swatting his hand with a soft paw and nails that barely scratch at his skin.

"I guess Magnus hasn't fed you yet," Alec smiles as Chairman's paws wrap around his finger. "He's probably busy, I wouldn't feel too offended by it. I'll fix you something."

Magnus had found Chairman in an alley and proceeded to take him home and clean him up, a few years back. Alec had managed to convince him to give away the other three cats he'd found, as it would be difficult enough for them to look after just one with the lives they lead, though it had been a charming sight to come home to, Magnus surrounded by four different kittens clambering over him, each vying for his attention. The only reason Alec even gave in to keeping Chairman was the kitten's undeniable cutenes, and the devestatingly adorable pout that Magnus had sported when he asked if they could keep him.

That, and Magnus had already named Chairman by the time Alec arrived home.

It hadn't been a huge change to their lifestyle or anything - just something that loved them, to come home to, really. Chairman had adjusted very quickly, and he generally keeps himself entertained while they are gone or busy - he also has the uncanny ability to interrupt them in intimate moments, which Magnus tends to find more amsuing than Alec.

Once Chairman Meow has been fed, and Alec's  _'Better Gay Than Grumpy'_ mug has been filled with steaming black espresso, he retreats to the four-seater couch, as a comfortable seat is what he's going to need for this paperwork considering he'll probably be here for hours, at best.

He flicks through the lab analysis Isabelle had completed for him, on a mundane pair with traces of demon poison in their blood. They'd been found lumped together behind a garbage skip in a fairly gross alleyway, but a scan of NYPD records couldn't find a connection between them, and from what they did find, both victims were homeless, a common theme in demon attacks due to their low-risk status and unfortunate availability.

The weirdest thing is the fact they were positioned at all. Usually demons, especially of this kind, just rage in and devour whatever they can. They don't have the care to assemble the bodies, or even really leave any behind. Isabelle had promised to look into it more, but Alec had in turn requested she save some time for herself to rest. There isn't much she can do tonight that she can't do tomorrow, it's not like they're really expecting an influx of deceased bodies within the next twelve hours. Her job is done, it's his turn to take over and piece facts together before the Clave decide he's not doing a good enough job and take over.

Because despite everything, the Clave as a collective still seem to doubt his ability to do his job. Even with Jia Penhallow as Consul, a far more impartial and welcoming member, his actions are still questioned, enough to drive him a little crazy.

However, small graces are graces nonetheless, and his greatest escape is returning to the loft, far enough that the Institute and all it's ties feel worlds away.

 

\---

 

Alec's pouring over the recent patrol reports, Chairman Meow curled against his side, when the distinctive sounds of Magnus arriving home reach his ears. Magnus has a subconscious routine, Alec's come to learn. He devoids himself of his heavy outer layers, jackets and coats, and spells them to the bedroom closet, and if he's exhausted, his shoes are the next to go. Any books or magic paraphernalia are quickly magicked to the office unless he needs to use them later, which is rare. Then his actions depend on his mood, how tired he is and just how taxing his clients have been. Some days he wants a nice warm cup of tea and a cuddle on the couch, other days he spends an hour on the balcony with only his magic, needing the space from other beings.

Whatever he needs, Alec respsects, which is why he doesn't rush to meet Magnus at the door.

He has a half a page left which he's determined to finish reading, though he's naturally perked to attention, so he isn't surprised when warm, firm hands land on his shoulders. They move in gentle squeezes, easing the tension that has coiled up in his neck and along his back.

A low sigh escapes through semi-parted lips, and the longer it goes on, the harder it is for Alec to resist his boyfriend's charming touch. He tilts his head back, eyes fluttering closed.

Magnus laughs softly, the sound deep and warm. "Is that helping, angel?"

"What can I say?" Alec exhales slowly as Magnus digs his thumb into the base of his neck. "Your hands are, uh, magical."

It's not a lie. Even without the actual component of magic, Magnus has a skill with his hands that works well in many ways, but best of all, gives amazing, melting massages.

"As long as it eases your tension," Magnus tuts sympathetically. "You're always so tight and high-strung when you come home."

Alec rolls his neck slowly, from one side to the other. "Part of the job description."

"I know," Magnus places a warm kiss to the back of Alec's ear. "That doesn't mean I have to like it, though. I love you, Alexander, it's part of  _my_  job description as doting, caring boyfriend to worry about how hard you are working."

Alec reaches back with his hand, wrapping his fingers around Magnus' wrist. He tilts his head around, glancing at Magnus. His makeup is, well, interesting. An armour, if Alec ever saw one. Dark and almost foreboding, his eyes lined so they pop sharply, so they look dangerous, a clear message - don't mess with the High Warlock of Brooklyn.

"I love you too." Alec rubs his thumb along Magnus' wrist. "Tough client?"

Magnus rolls his eyes, which is all the answer Alec really needs. "The worst. Honestly, Alexander, sometimes I truly despise the mundane folk. They discover that warlocks are real and then believe that they somehow have the upper hand, from what reasoning I certainly can't fathom."

Alec pats the couch and inclines his head. "Sit. Tell me all about it."

Magnus exhales tiredly and rounds the corner. He sits hip-to-hip next to Alec, letting out a little 'oh' when Alec tugs him down into a horizontal position. He curls his legs, his head resting on Alec's lap, as his shadowhunter cards his hands slowly through Magnus' hair, entertwining his spare hand with Magnus'.

"First, he was late. And a downright ... he called me a  _wizard_ , first of all, which I tried to explain to him I am not, but he wasn't willing to listen."

Alec hums sympathetically. This seems to be a common sore spot for Magnus in his line of work.

"Originally, I was there to discuss a potion for luck, right? Not a terribly difficult potion, though the side-effects can be less than desirable - of course the clients know this but don't seem to care because human greed most times outweighs common sense."

"You think there would be some truth to the idea that human beings should have a modicum of common sense," Alec agrees. "Unfortunately, that's not always true."

Magnus squeezes the hand in Alec's. Alec continues to run his hand through Magnus' hair; despite the glitter it's rather soft, for the product Magnus uses is one of his own creation, where it looks hard and styled but can be touched without being poked by sharp strands. After being together for as long as they have, Alec has learnt it's best to not be surprised at the lengths Magnus goes to for his style and comfort. It's kind of incredible, though Jace would say his standpoint is because of his fondness for Magnus.

"He decided that he wasn't actually in need of a luck potion," Magnus continues, his voice soft despite it's clear irritation. "He wanted to summon a  _fhaksd_  demon, which I politely tried to tell him I don't do, but he wasn't having it."

He turns over so that he can look Alec in the eye. "If it reaches you, professionally," He says slowly. "I'd like it to be noted that I acted in self-defence and was well within my rights."

Alec's eyes narrow, his fingers caught in the ends of Magnus' hair, his thumb pressed against the nape of Magnus' neck. "What happened?"

"He pulled a knife on me, silver thing, common kitchen variety, and I instinctively-" Magnus blinks innocently. "Blasted him against the closest wall and tapped him unconscious."

"Mags..."

"I was acting in defence, Alexander!" Magnus reinforces, looking at Alec with eyes as wide as he can. "Besides, it's not like he got hurt. And I'm sure the police will help him home safely after a night in for being a public nuisance."

"How did you manage to get him arrested?" Alec asks, not sure he really wants to know the answer.

Magnus smiles sheepishly. "I might have called in about a man streaking through the streets, completely devoid of any article of clothing."

Alec shakes his head fondly. "If I get a call from Luke-"

"Defence."

"I'll keep it from your file," Alec assures him. "But you can't always blast a man and take his clothing because he threatens you."

Magnus exhales through his nose. "He shouldn't have been late. I had a nice evening planned and he ruined it."

"A nice evening?" Alec asks.

Magnus' gaze flickers, guiltily, before returning back reluctantly to Alec. "I was going to cook you dinner. Actual, proper dinner, handmade with no takeout and no magic. Because you've been working so hard lately, and we haven't really been able to see each other, and I thought it only fitting I do something nice for you."

Alec can feel his own features soften, along with the sinking feeling that he's been running away from his problems and they're finally catching up with him. "That's really sweet," He whispers. "You didn't have to."

"Alexander, we've been through this." Magnus pulls himself up, twisting until he's facing Alec, legs folded beneath him. "I don't do things I don't want to."

He reaches for Alec's hand, taking it in his own, his skin warm and enveloping. They share an interesting smile, sweet and secret and all their own.

"You should have just called me." Alec says, after the silence has dragged on long enough. Magnus raises a quizzical eyebrow. "After the guy pulled a knife on you. I would have taken care of it."

Magnus leans closer, until his face is mere inches from Alec's. "Alexander, the man is still alive. I doubt he would be, if I had of let you handle it."

Alec shrugs casually, smirking with a put-upon air of playfullness. Magnus rolls his eyes fondly, before closing the distance between them. Their lips touch and it's familar but just as intoxicating as the first, and every one since. Alec has never gotten tired of kissing Magnus, it's not something he even considers within the realm of tedious - it's been years,  _years_ , but he still gets the fluttering in the pit of his stomach, the warmth that blossoms out from his chest, the aching desire to press so close to Magnus that they merge, entertwined and endless.

When he's kissing Magnus, everything else falls away. And that's a beautiful thing.

 

* * *

 

The grand re-opening of Pandemonium had been the Downworld's biggest event of the year. After all the destruction that Valentine and his followers had caused, the Shadow World needed a space where they could relax and feel safe, without fear of persecution or death haunting their every movement. Though the Seelies were less reluctant to join in all the festivities, considering how the Clave treated them, the place was pounding, both in terms of music and the people filling the venue.

It was a fantastic night for Magnus, who finally got to see his own business up-and-running again after so much time - Alec knew how much it meant for him, to save his club before it became decrepit and unwanted.

Alec knows that it would be nothing to Magnus to start a new business, any new business - sure because he's got connections and power and magic, but more than that, he has skill and intelligence and the mind for these kinds of pursuits. He managed a speakeasy in the twenties without being caught - so he says, ever - and he once had a black-market potions deal running under the Clave's nose for the sole purpose of ticking them off.

Experience isn't what counts for Magnus, though. It's the end-product, something he is proud of and can call his own. Pandemonium was a big project for him, to get up and running in the first place, and it's becomes his kingdom, where he can rule and relax without having the expectations that come with being the High Warlock looming over him.

Returning to Pandemonium was Magnus' shining moment, and Alec had been delighted to see him so happy, completely and utterly in his  _element._

Alec might not be affected by the club in the same way, but he understands how much it means to Magnus, and if that means heading out to Pandemonium every few weeks or so for a couple of hours, it's worth it.

Anything is worth it, for Magnus' happiness.

 

\---

 

"Aren't you just the cutest?"

Isabelle hops onto the seat next to Alec, who's been perched at the bar for the past hour or so. Her temples are damp with perspiration, strands of her dark hair sticking to her neck like curled pencil lines, her deep red dress clinging to her curves and wrapped around her thighs - she's been dancing with anyone who'll offer, which has included Magnus twice, and Simon once, though he was a little reluctant to head out into the crowd. She's even spun with Jace, though they'd laughed more than they'd stepped anywhere, and somehow Clary had gotten caught in the middle of them like a giant moving hug by the end of the song.

Alec glances at his sister curiously. "Having fun?"

"The best." Isabelle hooks one leg over the other smoothly. "Your boyfriend has seriously killer dance moves."

Alec rolls his eyes fondly. "What about yours?"

Isabelle smiles softly. "He's a dork, but I love him so it's okay." She glances over towards the corner, near the VIP section where Simon and Clary are competing with Jace over downing various coloured shots.

They've been dating for a while, not as long as he and Magnus, or Jace and Clary for that matter, though anyone could have seen  _that_ coming. Simon and Isabelle had been unexpected, but Alec can see how happy his sister is, and at the end of the day, despite how irritating he might find Simon on ocassion, that is all that really matters.

"I think it's sweet," Isabelle adds, twisting herself until she's angled towards Alec. "That you come here so much, considering your ... distaste, for anything fun."

Alec can't summon enough heat for a glare, so he settles for a deep exhale. "I have fun," He defends. "I just don't like,  _clubs_."

Isabelle smirks, waving to Maia to catch her attention - she moonlights at Pandemonium every now and then, whilst still keeping a steady run with the Hunter's Moon.

"Magnus does, though." Isabelle points out. "That's real love, if you ask me."

"It's not that I hate it here," Alec clarifies, glancing at the clinking ice cubes in his cup. "It's just not a preferred place to be. It's not like I'm making a huge sacrifice in coming here when I do - and besides, after all Magnus has done for me-"

"Hey," Isabelle reaches over, wrapping her hand around his wrist. Her nails are shiny and black and a little distracting against his pale arms; he'd taken his leather jacket off earlier in the night, and it's currently being kept in the back of the VIP room, leaving him with just a tight maroon button-up with the sleeves rolled.

It used to be intimidating, being in such a prominently-Downworlder club with runes painting his skin, but Magnus had quickly made it  _known_  how important Alec is to him, and while there was still a few disgruntled partygoers, they never dared anything. That, and Alec once arrived at Pandemonium with his bow and quiver still strapped on because a stray demon horde had made him late to meeting up with Magnus. It's been pretty cemented that both Magnus and Alec are more than equipped to deal with anyone who has a problem with them.

Now he wears his runes without shame, though with little pride considering the state of the Clave at present.

Isabelle waits until Alec is looking at her before she continues. "I didn't mean to get you into such a spin, brother. I think you and Magnus compliment each other perfectly, and it's a testament to your relationship that you don't mind bearing the disinteresting for a few hours."

Alec sighs, staring at the Lightwood ring on his right hand. He twists it around his finger as Isabelle and Maia converse over new drinks, her words melding with Jace's in his mind.

He glances over at the dancefloor, where Magnus is spinning Clary, her fiery hair twirling with the movement. They're laughing, bright smiles shining beneath erratic coloured lights, darting between nixies and pixies and vampires with red lipstick stains that might actually be blood.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Isabelle offers a kind smile. "Or, another whisky if it takes your fancy?"

"I'm good, thanks." Alec waves away her offer. "I just - you haven't spoke to Jace, have you? About me?"

Isabelle's eyes narrow suspiciously. "No. Should he have?"

"No," Alec quickly shakes his head. "I'm glad he didn't, actually."

Isabelle sips her frighteningly-bright purple concotion thoughtfully. "Is there something  _you_  want to tell me? Or do I need to track Jace down and get him to spill?"

Alec wrings his hands together fitfully. "Not here." He asks, weakly. "Go, head back out onto the dancefloor, enjoy yourself. You don't need to waste away in my depressing presence."

Isabelle rolls her eyes, leaning forward to kiss his cheek. He can practically feel the lipstick mark on his cheek, an imprint of her caring gesture. "Promise me we'll talk." She squeezes his shoulder. "Even if it's not tonight. No flaking, okay?"

Alec nods, summoning as strong a smile as he can. "No flaking. Promise."

Isabelle ruffles his hair as she leaves, and Alec finds himself slumping further down on the chair. Maia offers him a sympathetic smile as she passes, but unlike everyone else in his life, she doesn't poke her nose into his business, which he's more than grateful for.

Maybe if he's lucky, Isabelle will help settle his thoughts. Talking to Jace had helped, but he hasn't gotten further than  _okay, I do want to propose to Magnus._ He hasn't figured out how, or when, or if it's even the right time to consider it with how hectic their lives already are.

It turns out that, even after five years in a steady, established relationship, there are still things he has no clue about.

 

* * *

 

Isabelle shuts the door to Alec's office. "Alright. Spill."

Alec looks up from his report, pen held idly in his hand. "Does my door have a sign on it or something inviting interruption?" He asks sarcastically. "Can I not have  _any_  peace around here to do my work?"

Isabelle raises an unimpressed eyebrow. "Did you take an extra dose of grumpy today?"

Alec sighs, pushing back his chair. "I'm sorry. Jace is trying to make it a common occurence, it seems, barging into my room like there isn't a door in the first place."

"Jace's life goal is to irritate you," Isabelle states, sweeping into the room - he assumes she's been in the training room, though her workout hoodie is pristine and her heels have blocked heels. "He likes the reaction. And you give it to him."

Alec shrugs, knowing there's no hope of defending himself against the truth.

"However, I am not Jace, and your displeasure isn't why I'm here." Isabelle sinks into the chair opposite his desk, her legs crossed demurely. "You promised we'd talk. No flaking. Remember?"

Alec sighs, running a hand through his disheveled hair. "Unfortunately."

"So, what is bothering you, brother mine?" Isabelle asks, sweeping her hair up. "Does it actually have to do with Jace, or something else?"

"I wish it had to do with Jace." Alec admits. "I feel like it would be easier that way."

Isabelle scrutinises him sharply, sliding her  _stele_  into her bun to keep it in place. "Easier?"

Alec's phone buzzes then, because apparently whatever greater force exists out there doesn't want to make any of this simple for him, and has a vendetta against his happiness.

 

**Mags <3:** _Can't do dinner tonight darling, emergency consultation at the Spiral Labyrinth. I promise I will make it up to you, both tomorrow with a homecooked speciality ... and tonight once I finally make it back ;) <3 xx_

 

Alec doesn't look at his sister as he types back a quick reply. It's not surprising, that Magnus has been called out, and doesn't impact him much in terms of what he'll do with his evening now his intial plans have been changed. He might even head out on patrol, if it comes to it. It sucks, that he can't have dinner with Magnus, but he understands that this is just something Magnus has to do, and after how considerate his boyfriend has been with his own sudden cancelations ... it's only fair that Alec returns the favour.

"Is it hot in here, Alec, or just your cheeks?"

After five years, there are many things Alec has gotten comfortable with. The inneundo of intimate apologies in the presence of his baby sister isn't one of them.

"You know, we don't really have to talk." Alec figures one final attempt at squirming his way out of this won't go astray. "I have a lot of work to do, and I'm sure there is something in the lab waiting for your scientific expertise."

Isabelle tilts her head, one hand resting beneath her chin. "Nice try,  _hermano_ , but you're not squirming your way out of it that easily."

"It's just ... I'm not really comfortable, talking about this problem with you."

Isabelle actually laughs, soft and teasing. "Oh, Alec, that's sweet _._ You and I have had conversations about sex before, what else can there be that makes you so uncomfortable you cannot come to your own  _querida hermana_  for advice?"

Alec groans, wondering not for the first time how he managed to get such invasively open siblings. "This isn't about - that's not my problem. It's bigger than that." He folds his arms over his chest defensively. "Iz, I really don't want-"

"It does have to do with Magnus, then." Isabelle declares, leaning forward. "You've already moved in, said I love you, faced the entirety of the Clave board without cowering or hiding your relationship..." Her eyebrows furrow. "I know Magnus makes comments about his 'children', and he's apparently adopted Simon, but you're not actually considering-"

"Absolutely not." Alec snaps, cheeks heating with a quick and furious flame. "Not, yet, at least, I mean we haven't even - there's so many other things ... and we're certainly not adopting your boyfriend, if he can't make it as vampire now there's no hope for him."

Isabelle exhales, but there's a tightness to her posture that nags at him. "Good. Because I quite like having Simon to myself." She winks, as though his discomfort isn't exponential enough.

"That was uncalled for, Iz."

"Are you actually going to tell me - wait," Isabelle holds a hand up, effectively cutting Alec off before he even gets a chance to consider what he might say. "You're going to propose."

Alec's shoulders tighten, his body turning rigid as though he's been dowsed in ice water. "What, what do you - no, no, that's - of course I - how-

"Alec," Isabelle stands up, rounding his desk faster than he can blink. She unwraps his arms, taking his hands and holding them tightly in her own. "Alec, I am so proud of you ... this is so exciting!"

Alec swallows, his mouth dry. He can't manage to meet his sister's eyes, which slowly narrow with suspicion.

"Have you already proposed?"

"No." Alec shakes his head quickly. "No, I haven't. I've been ... considering it, though. Which is why I thought that maybe Jace had talked to you about it, because I think I gave him a headache as bad as he gave me."

"You went to Jace about proposing to Magnus before you came to me?" Isabelle raises a hand to her chest in faux-hurt.

"He is my  _parabatai_ ," Alec reminds her, exhaling deeply. "I didn't go to Jace, he cornered me, coincidentally in my office and and in much the same way you have now. I didn't plan on telling him, he frustrated me and I snapped."

Isabelle squeezes his hand tightly, her own warm and comforting around his. "Part of me wishes you'd have talked to me first." She admits softly. "However, I can understand why it's taken you so long. You're nervous."

Alec glances at Isabelle with what feels like a desperate plea for help. "I'm terrified, Iz."

"Let me ask you something." Isabelle rubs her thumb over Alec's hand. "Do you love him?"

"More than I thought possible." Alec admits in a rare emotional vulnerability.

Isabelle smiles. "And you want to be with him, for as long as you can?"

"I know forever isn't possible," Alec sighs. "But  _by the Angel_ I want forever with him."

Isabelle stares at him imploringly. "Then what is there to be scared of, Alec? If forever is what you want with Magnus, then forever is what you need to be focusing on. Start with marriage, maybe then move onto the idea of kids, and leaving this ridiculous place."

Alec rolls his eyes fondly, his stomach tightening with an influx 0f unwarranted emotions. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves, alright?"

"Of course not." Isabelle smirks in way that feels sarcastic. "It's not like we're talking about pledging your life to another for so long as you both shall live, or anything."

"Not making it any easier, Izzy."

Isabelle reaches forward, brushing back Alec's hair and pressing a warm kiss to his forehead. "You'll be okay, Alec, because you love Magnus, and I think if this is what you want, then this is what you should do."

"I love you, too." Alec whispers. "For the record."

"Forever?" Isabelle asks.

"For always."

 

* * *

 

"Candles? Really?"

Magnus shrugs nonchalantly, lighting the array of elegant gold candles with a wave of his hand. "What says 'romantic evening' more than candles?"

Alec hums, sidling up to Magnus slowly. He winds an arm around Magnus' waist, smiling even before Magnus has turned to look at him. "Romance doesn't have to equal fire-hazard." He mutters, leaning forward to brush his lips against Magnus'.

"Is it a fire-hazard if I can quell danger with the quirk of my wrist?" Magnus whispers, his breath ghosting. "Is the brave little shadowhunter afraid of fire?"

Alec rolls his eyes, pressing a firm kiss to Magnus' lips in retaliation. "I just think it's a little over-the-top." He admits. "Not that I don't appreciate the gesture, of course, it's very sweet."

Magnus sighs in a show of exaggerated dramaticism. "Alexander, in my time, I have found that big gestures can often be the most romantic. Putting effort into showing your love how deeply you care for them, how dedicated you are to them."

"I know," Alec swallows, lifting his other hand until it's resting on Magnus' chest, over his heart. "I know how deeply you love." He says. "I feel it, every day, just as with every breath I feel how deeply I care for you."

Magnus smiles fondly. "I refrained from hiring a four-string quartet, if it counts." He lifts his hand, resting it above Alec's on his chest, their fingers linking. "Stuck to the classic 'romantic candelight dinner' scenario with mouth-watering food and my best wine."

Alec huffs a laugh. "Every time you pull a bottle of wine you claim it's the best, and then speel some epic tale about how it came to be in your possession. All of your stories, I should point out, hold less truth than they aught to - you never mention your level of inebriety or what woeful, ill-fated love led you there."

Magnus' eyes narrow sharply, though there's an air of teasing to his voice. "What ill-fated love?"

"Catarina told me about Peru." Alec states casually. "And, during one of your parties when Raphael was on the nice side of intoxicated, he told me about that one time in Venice when you stole a bottle of  _Chateu Lafite_ because, and I'm quoting here - you 'fell stupidly head over heels for some coquettish dame who broke your heart' - and wished to get drunk to escape your thoughts of her."

Magnus frowns. "Why do I get the feeling that isn't entirely how Raphael phrased it?"

Alec grins sheepishly. "Probably because he had a few choice words I neglected to include."

"I promise there was no stealing involved with this one," Magnus lifts Alec's hand, cradling it with his fingers and brushing a soft kiss against the back of it. "Let's refrain from bringing Raphael into this delightful night. He wasn't part of my plan."

Alec, if asked, would blame the colour in his cheeks on the biting November air. "Your plan?" He licks his bottom lips subconsciously. "I had the feeling this was, you know, spontaneous?"

"I promise you a romantic night to make up for the other day," Magnus' eyes flicker, his glamour slowly falling away. "I know the food isn't home-cooked, but I did arrange it all myself, and I've always loved the phrase 'it's the thought that counts'."

"You're too good to me," Alec whispers, pulling Magnus forward to capture his lips in a soft yet heated kiss. He pours all his gratitude and love into the press of his lips against Magnus', everything he can't express with his words he turns into actions.

"You're too good  _for_  me." Magnus replies, when they eventually pull back. "However, I'm too selfish to let you go. Guess you're stuck with me."

 _Forever._  Alec thinks, fortunately keeping it from spilling out. If ... no,  _when_  he proposes to Magnus, because he will, of that much he is certain, he wants it to be perfect. He wants it to be special, meaningful, something to be remembered and recalled fondly, because Magnus deserves that much.

Alec is aware that Magnus, in all his years, has never been married. That no one has ever felt dedicated enough to him to commit to spending the rest of their life with him - but Alec is different. He  _is_ dedicated, he  _is_ committed, and he wants Magnus to know that.

He  _needs_  Magnus to understand that he is completely aware of the promise he is making, that he wants to pledge his life to Magnus, to share whatever time he has with him.

Magnus may have been with 17,000 people before him. He may have loved before Alec had come along, but none of those 17,000 people were smart or lucky enough to propose to Magnus, and their loss will, hopefully, be his definite gain.

So long as Magnus says yes, of course.

 

\--

 

Sitting there, out on the balcony beneath the foggy skyscrape that is New York, stars barely visible between the blinding lights of the city streets, Alec feels content and overwhelmingly at ease. The Institute may be where he grew up, but it's not his home.

Truthfully, Magnus is his home, but saying that feels deliriously sappy, and he has the feeling that Magnus knows, without him having to actually say it.

"Thank you."

They'd finished dinner a while ago, Magnus doing his magic-thing and clearing everything away, bar the candles which have been re-positioned in various places around the balcony, illuminating the space with a golden light and casting slim, drawn-out shadows.

They haven't moved very far, only straying towards the couch before they fell, tangled with each other, wine in hand and laughter on their lips. Alec feels warm and fuzzy and so full of love that he wouldn't be surprised if he started bursting at the seams.

"For dinner?" Magnus rubs his hand on Alec's knee firmly. "It was my pleasure, darling."

"Not just-" Alec strokes his hand slowly along Magnus' bicep, his touch light and fleeting. "For everything. Not just tonight."

Magnus tilts his head, leaning forward for a short kiss. It's firm and full, and when he pulls back it looks like the stars have left the sky to fill his eyes. "Has the wine gone to your head, darling? You're never this ... openly warm-hearted. I'm not saying this is a bad thing, just a surprising one."

Alec shrugs half-heartedly. "I don't know, it could be the wine - it could be anything." He knows what it is. It's his heart taking over his mouth, his mind and all logical sense left in the dust. "You just, you did all of these nice things for me, you always do such nice things for me-"

"Because I love you, Alexander." Magnus smiles, and Alec's heart trips in his chest, just the way it did when Magnus first uttered those words. "I'd do anything for you."

"Would you marry me?"

As soon as the words are out, Alec presses his lips together tightly, wishing he could take them back. He wonders, distantly, if there's a spell for that, a spell to fix the mistake he's just made.

Wait. No. Not a mistake, it wasn't a mistake, he'd meant it - he just hadn't meant to blurt it out, now. He wanted his proposal to be absolutely perfect, planned and articulate, not some messy thought he lets slip on accident.

His mistake wasn't in proposing the question, it was with his execution of it.

"Alexander," Magnus clears his throat. "Are you being serious? Do you - do you mean it?"

Alec blinks, his forehead creasing with confusion. "I hadn't meant to say it, like that, just out of the blue, but - but yes, I do mean it." He watches as Magnus swallows, his gaze flickering down to the hand on Alec's knee. "Mags, you don't have to answer it if you don't want."

There's a cold hand of nervous anticipation wrapping itself around Alec's heart, but he ignores it in favour of making sure that Magnus is okay.

"I just never-" Magnus clears his throat, his hand curling reflexively on Alec's leg. Alec places his own hand atop it, resting his fingers in the spaces of Magnus'.

"I know it's not something we've, you know, talked about or anything." Alec tries to keep his voice soft and steady. "I have been thinking about it, though."

"No one has ever asked me to marry them." Magnus looks up, his eyes flooded with an unfamiliar mix of painful fondness, an almost hesitance in his voice. Magnus has been around for long enough to know how to close off his emotions, but around Alec he's an open book, whether he intends to or not.

"No one has ever wanted to marry me, before."

" _I_ want to marry you." Alec confesses, earnestly. "And  _I'm_ asking. Technically."

He twists so that he's facing Magnus, reaching for his hands and holding them within his own - the radiating heat from Magnus' skin and the familiar curve of his rings is grounding.

"I know that I don't have a ring, and this is, for you at least, a little sudden - but I meant it, and if you're inclined to say yes, you can consider this a proposal, rather than just a suggestion." Alec stares as deep into Magnus' eyes as he can, pouring everything he's feeling into their locked gaze, so that Magnus has no room to doubt him. "I love you, Magnus. More than I ever thought it would be possible for me to love anyone, and I  _want_ to marry you, I  _want_ to spend my life with you."

"This is a big committment to be making, Alexander." Magnus offers a kind smile, though the corners are weak and it's all-together a little too fragile. "You're very young."

"I'm a Shadowhunter." Alec reminds him. "We marry young, because more often than not, we die young. I was prepared to marry Lydia at twenty, because that's just what we do. I'm glad I didn't, of course, because now I have you, and I have the chance to  _choose_  who I marry on the grounds of love and not duty. I'm completely aware of how big a committment this is, and I am more than willing to make it."

"I just-" Magnus sighs, surprisingly at a loss for words. "I've never thought I could have this, Alexander. Marriage. With anyone. I've entertained the possibility, but in four hundred years it's never been more than a fantasy."

"You  _can_ have this, though." Alec squeezes Magnus' hands gently. "If you want it. With me."

Magnus pauses, his jaw tightening, a sign that Alec recognises as the cogs in his mind turning faster than expected. He feels bad, for putting Magnus in this position, but at the same time he doesn't regret it, because it is something he's put serious thought into and it was bound to come up at some point, or another.

A shining hope flickers in his eyes, sending an uplifting spark to Alec's heart. "Marriage," Magnus says quietly. "With you."

Alec nods. Magnus pulls a hand free, lifting it to Alec's cheek, cradling his jaw carefully. His cat eyes are glistening with unshed tears, but there's a vibrant joy shining behind them, as though he'd been hesitant with his own happiness before now.

"Ask me." Magnus whispers.

"What?"

"Ask me, again." Magnus requests, stroking Alec's cheek. "Ask me to marry you."

Alec grins, biting at his bottom lip nervously. "Okay." He breathes in deeply, his eyes on Magnus' the whole time. "Magnus Bane, will you marry me?"

"Absolutely." Magnus pulls Alec forward and kisses him heatedly, his hand sliding around to grasp at Alec's neck. Their lips move in even tranquility, languid and warm and so full of love it's a miracle neither of them drown.

They pull back, eventually, chests heaving with deep breaths, grins wide enough to leave behind an ache. Alec feels all of his previous lingering stress melt away until there is nothing left but surreal elation, and minor embarrassment at how naively ridiculous he had been in worrying about this. He'd proposed, got an affirmative answer, and cleared the air all at the same time.

"I don't, I don't have a ring." Alec admits. "No, wait ... hold out your hand."

Magnus frowns, but offers Alec his left hand. Alec slides his Lightwood ring off his own hand and slips it onto Magnus' finger. "There."

"Your family ring?" Magnus whispers, in awe. He touches it gingerly, his eyes blown wide and jaw slack. "Alexander, you can't-"

"It works." Alec states. "At least until I can find you something proper."

Magnus laughs softly, glancing at the silver band, the fire emblem carrying a far more interesting meaning than he'd always thought. "Your mother would freak out so much if she saw this."

"I don't care." Alec shakes his head, wishing to dispel thoughts of his mother from the air before it contaminates their nice moment. "I don't care what she thinks, Magnus, because her opinion doesn't matter to me anymore. All that matters to me, is that you said yes."

Magnus squeezes Alec's shoulder comfortingly. "I did." The corner of his mouth quirks. "We're engaged. Alexander, we just got engaged."

"Yeah," Alec can't quite believe it either.

Magnus holds up his left hand. "Does this mean I'm an honorary Lightwood, now?"

"You can be my honorary Lightwood." Alec whispers. "And Isabelle's, I'm sure she wouldn't mind."

"Hm." Magnus tilts his head. "I'm going to be lawfully related to a bunch of Shadowhunters. And Lightwood's, at that. What have you done to me, Alexander? Past-me would be positively gagging right now."

"I proposed." Alec states. "And you said yes. Which means it's officially your fault if there's ever a problem."

"There's no problem," Magnus assures him, leaning forward to brush his lips against Alec's. "Absolutely no problem."

 

* * *

 

Isabelle and Jace are both in the Insitute's smaller kitchen when Alec walks in - being the original, there's less high-tech appliances and less space, and therefore less people. It's been  _their_  kitchen ever since they were kids, and the newer, larger one was built, and has since become a nice place for them to congregate without having to fear being overheard or interrupted.

"Morning," Alec greets, sweeping into the room on a path of air. It hurts to try and contain his grin, but his stubborn determination is enough to keep him going.

That, and the small ring on his left hand that isn't truthfully as heavy as it feels.

"Hey, Alec." Jace greets around a mouthful of shiny red apple. He's perched on the kitchen bench, and Alec doesn't have the heart to tell him to get off.

"Morning,  _hermano_." Isabelle waves a wooden spoon in greeting. "Hungry?"

Alec bites back a grimace, and politely shakes his head. "Uh, no thank you. I've already eaten. Coffee machine on?"

"I don't think it's been turned off in the past thirteen years, Alec." Jace states.

Alec rolls his eyes, but doesn't grace Jace's comment with a response, instead crossing to the coffee machine for his second cup of the day. He'll need it, considering the news he has to share and the weight of it all.

"How are things?" Isabelle asks, stirring something frighteningly grey around a saucepan. "With, you know..."

"Things are..." Alec hopes the shake in his hand isn't visible. "Things are okay."

He pulls a mug from the cupboard, black porcelain with  _hella gay_  written in rainbow letters - it had been an 'I don't care about your sexuality' gift from Jace a few years back. He pretends to hate it, but really he thinks it's kind of funny, and the gesture itself is sweet.

"Are you still stressing over what to do?" Jace asks. "You were pretty, freaked out last time we talked."

Isabelle nods along with Jace's words. "Last time we talked, I thought you were going to faint."

"I realised I don't have anything to worry about," Alec offers by way of an explanation. "Nothing that's worth stressing over." He crosses to the drawer for a spoon, and almost misses the sharp gasp that escapes from Isabelle's parted lips.

"You proposed!" She shouts, dropping the wooden spoon.

Alec whirls around, prepared to deny all of it. Jace hops down in one fluid motion, accusation painting his features.

"Don't try and squirm your way out of this, Alec." Isabelle stares at him threateningly. "I can see the ring. And the lack of our family one, so if you didn't propose, then you guys are taking swapping accessories to a weird new level."

Jace reaches out and yanks Alec's left hand. He and Isabelle bend their heads over his hand, both looking at the ring. Alec sighs and let's them, knowing there isn't anything he can do about it anyway. All hope for him is lost. Not that he really minds, it is one way of telling them.

"That's beautiful, Alec." Isabelle whispers in awe. "And, no offence, it looks surprisingly great on you."

"Gee, Iz, thanks." He quips back drily, unable to keep the smile from his face. "It's a Bacan Stone, Magnus said - a native Indonesian gem."

The green-blue stone sits in the middle of a thin silver band, simple enough for Alec to feel comfortable wearing it, and flashy enough to remind him of Magnus. An altogether incredibly well-suited style.

"So, I guess you guys are really serious, then?" Jace asks, light-heartedly. "And, that he said yes, based on the fact you sappily swapped rings."

"Don't listen to him," Isabelle pats Alec's hand. "Jace is just jealous that you're in a more established relationship than he is."

"I mean, to be fair, it is Alec." Jace points out. "You were always so, to quote Iz, emotionally repressed I wasn't sure you'd get to the point where you'd want to marry someone."

"Guess I proved you both wrong then." Alec says, smugly. "Considering I'm engaged, and all."

Isabelle shrieks, and then pulls Alec forward for a hug. Alec wraps one arm around her, opening the other for Jace to squeeze in. There, in an awkward three-person hug with two people he's always loved and relied upon, Alec feels ... at ease, in a way he never really has before.

Up until he was twenty, he'd spent his life ignoring who he was in favour of who he was supposed to be. Even after that, he'd carried with himself the sense of being judged, that the people who pass him are criticising him for who he is, who he loves.

Yet, here he is, with two people who've never judged him, who have always loved him for who he truly is, with a ring on his finger for the man who's given him everything he never knew he wanted, and more.

Screw anyone who wants to judge him. He has more important things to care about.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading my - ahem - only contribution for Malec Week this year. Unfortunately it crept up on me without my awareness and I wasn't graced with enough time - I'm also recovering from a dumb cold that made it hard to think or write anything. I have plans for fics related to this years prompts, but they won't offically be part of malec week. 
> 
> Regardless, I hope you all enjoy this wonderful week where we celebrate a beautiful love and everything this couple stands for. <3 
> 
> \---
> 
> also fhaksd is not an actual demon, just a keyboard spasm that looked cool and which I kept in the name of originality.
> 
> \---
> 
> [my tumblr](http://killjoyrow.tumblr.com/)
> 
>  
> 
> [latin curse from this post](http://oilpaintingofanegg.tumblr.com/post/32636508032>my)
> 
>    
> [inspiration for the ring Magnus gave Alec](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/7iJAWYs1y2s/maxresdefault.jpg)
> 
>  
> 
> [lightwood ring](https://68.media.tumblr.com/73125191ee3d8683c2e514458ee13f5b/tumblr_og3rccSTX01vhl5uuo1_500.png)


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